"this is a reverse-Robin Hood bill which unfairly targets our
society's most vulnerable people: the impoverished; the sick; the elderly;
recently-divorced single mothers; and military families. But guess whose assets
are exempted? That's right -- the GOP's wealthy clientele!"
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On Attempting to Justify The Unjustifiable With Scripture: Debt Slavery
Posted March 9, 2005 thepeoplesvoice.org
By:
Evan Augustine Peterson lll, J.D.
Congressional Republicans are currently attempting to pass the harsh,
deceptively-named "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act" (S.
256/H.R. 685). To justify it, the bill's proponents have cited cherry-picked
scriptural passages like Thessalonians 3: 6-15, but have ignored more
directly-applicable contrary passages like Deuteronomy 15: 1-11.
Hence, please consider Bob Rostow's letter, "Dear President Bush, can I buy a
Canadian Slave and other questions... ." In the humorous tradition of Mark
Twain and Will Rogers, it provides an important warning about politicians who
resort to scriptural literalism in their misbegotten attempt to justify an
otherwise-unjustifiable public policy.
"Dear President Bush,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have
learned a great deal from you and understand why you would propose and support a
constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. As you said, "In the
eyes of God, marriage is based between a man and a woman." I try to share that
knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the
homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22
clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of
God's Laws and how to follow them:
1. Lev. 25:44 clearly states that I may possess slaves, both male and
female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mind
claims this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I
own Canadians?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus
21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her
period of menstrual uncleanness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell?
I have tried asking but most women take offense.
4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it created a
pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim
the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2
clearly states that he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him
myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree.
Can you settle this? Are there degrees of abomination?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a
defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my
vision have to be 20/20 or is there some wiggle room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around
their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How
should they die?
9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me
unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different
crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two
different kinds of thread (cotton/poly blend). He also tends to curse and
blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we to all the trouble of getting the
town to stone them? (Lev. 24: 10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a
private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.
20:14)
I know you have studies these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable
expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again
for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Sincerely,
Joe Public"
Of course, Mr. Rostow is making the excellent point that a politician's
literalistic use of scriptural passages can make a poor guide to public policy! In
the twenty-first century Western world, one first must consider their
historical and cultural context, and then debate one's scriptural sources rationally
on their merits, before one can seriously contend that they should be
implemented as public policy.
Now let's return to our consideration of the Republicans' misguided
"Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act" (S. 256/H.R. 685). This
onerous bill was written by the credit industry's fat-cat lobbyists, who hoped the
American people would never know about its onerous provisions until it was
too late. Realistically, it should have been titled the "Debt Slavery Act,"
because the lobbyists' deceptive "bankruptcy reform" rhetoric hides the harsh
Social-Darwinist reality that's buried in its technical language, as two
knowledgeable authors have pointed out in the following essays:
1. Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren's 2-12-05 CD/MH essay, "Sick
and Broke" [Explains why the so-called "bankruptcy reform" bill is nothing
more than draconian bushwhackery that's being imposed on unsuspecting Americans
by stealth.]:
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0212-10.htm
2. Molly Ivins' 3-3-05 CD/WFC essay, "Bad To Worse: Republicans Vote Down
Military Exemption To Bankruptcy Bill, Add Loopholes For Rich" [Cites a recent
study to prove that this is a reverse-Robin Hood bill which unfairly targets our
society's most vulnerable people: the impoverished; the sick; the elderly;
recently-divorced single mothers; and military families. But guess whose assets
are exempted? That's right -- the GOP's wealthy clientele!]:
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0303-29.htm
What can we, the people, do to protect ourselves and our families from
financial disaster and the imposition of debt slavery?
First, we can tell our Congresspersons to STOP persecuting "the little
people" who are suffering the unfortunate financial symptoms, and to START turning
their attention to the underlying causes, of our nationwide economic
insecurity: (A) stagnant wages; (B) high unemployment, noting that large numbers of
long-term unemployed people are going unrecorded in the government's official
statistics; (C) massive outsourcing of US jobs to cheap-labor markets overseas; (D)
massive replacements of US jobs with technology; (E) skyrocketing costs of
living, such as exorbitant costs for housing, gasoline, and health care; and
(F) massive over-investment of federal revenues in Mr. Bush's unnecessary and
illegal war-profiteering military adventures, rather than in the basic
social-services sector of our economy.
Second and finally, you can take action right now. It's easy! Tell your
Congresspersons to OPPOSE this terrible "bankruptcy reform" bill by sending them
a letter that's already been written -- "as is" or with your own words added
-- at this URL:
http://hq.demaction.org/dia/organizations/movingideas/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=403
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This Action Alert Was Prepared For You By: Evan Augustine Peterson III, J.D., the Executive Director of the
American Center for International Law ("ACIL"). EvPeters8@aol.com
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